Waiting and Watching at Airports
Airports catch people in moments of joy and despair and the plain old ordinary. But, it’s also where dreams and nightmares begin and end. They have a way of stripping off all of the veneer so emotions can be seen in full color.
Luxury Retailers to Cash in this Holiday Season
Unlike the general consumer, the Luxury buyer’s behavior is different and far more driven by the brand marketer’s advertising in stores and online but, it’s also particularly heavily and influential in magazine print. Still the platform most able to reach and target a large audience, it is the workhorse that drives intrigue and sales. But, the emotional connection is increasingly more provocative and continues to create the aura and reality of exclusivity. Digitally too, and especially those brands that are integrating retail, print, social and mail with it, are winning. But, the coveted 1% target may actually be the 0.5%. Stay tuned.
Lupus Gala 2011
What does a dinosaur and Lupus research have to do with one another?
$2.2 Million was raised at this week’s Gala at the Museum of Natural History!
Veteran’s Day
Four years ago, the company did an abrupt about-face against the tide of Veteran’s Day as yet another shopping day. Stuffing large ziplock bags with socks, toothpaste, handiwipes, batteries, lots of candy and handwritten, personal notes, the emotional connections we’re creating are genuine. Stopping the company for two hours every year is not a big deal. Fighting for our country is.
Black Friday is now a Thursday
Walmart just changed the game. Let the madness begin. Deals and bargains now start on Thanksgiving night at 10pm. Best Buy and Target are lined up right behind them rolling deals into staggered timeframes. Toys, clothes and home accessories are up first then, electronics at midnight and general consumer goods on Friday at 8am.
Ecommerce is about to reset its search bid rules to react to consumer’s expectations although not for all products and brands, notably Luxury. Electronics and apparel will have no choice, especially consumables and commoditized products, in my opinion. Dayparting search optimization is about to take on a new life when you consider that researching will now start earlier which will impact site conversions related to new buying patterns.
Will Cyber Monday and Tuesday stay the top sales performers? My bet says yes, but the curve is certainly going to flatten over Thanksgiving weekend as opposed to historical, spikey high-peak days. Whether all of this generates incremental, new customers and demand is the ultimate question.
We’ll know more in two and a half weeks.
7 Holiday Predictions
Where Are Customers Hiding? Or, Are They?
1. Those who don’t have to do without, won’t. Luxury spending is on a steep rise despite the down economies in the US and Europe. Three years of a deep recession and 9%+ unemployment aren’t dampening the spirits of the bulls-eyed 1%. Even NY State’s Governor Andrew Cuomo won’t hit the millionaire wallet and handbag. States need every taxpayer they can get.
2. Ecommerce, the at-once General Admission concert seats and genteel private entrance, will continue to capture increasing growth and wallet-share. Led by search online and directed increasingly to handheld devices and tablets, consumers at home get the guilty pleasure, special discounts, free shipping and radically improved shopping experiences that they can rarely get after sitting in traffic to get to their favorite retail store.
3. Brands that integrate their marketing channels will win. Consumers think they are already. Most aren’t. Those that don’t may not see what’s happening underneath their sales numbers given the likely positive Holiday growth numbers. Like most consumer-led disruption, though, future declines won’t be polite. Just ask NetBook manufacturers and the company trading under the symbol NFLX (Netflix). Click here for the latest in multi-channel whitepapers
4. People want to donate. They really do. When will nonprofits understand they have to earn the right to capture those dollars? Social media, Search, Mobile, Display media are well-worn channels that the commercial marketers have proven. If they took the least productive 10% of their year-end marketing and spent it to develop online brand credibility and downstream donations, wouldn’t it make nonprofit brands more relevant? Internet time is a 2:1 ratio. For every year of delay, it’s 2 years of catch-up.
Fashion trend or fad?
My prediction: men’s pashminas have arrived. Especially with menswear surging, and unique and custom styling the rage, we’re going to see more woman’s fashion working its way into men’s apparel.
Shoe & Boot Shine on the go!
This is still one of the simplest, most useful devices ever created. $0.50, 45 seconds, and you’re on your way.
Guys and Fashion
Great overview of the evolving menswear market by Ray A. Smith at the Wall Street Journal, who points out how the privacy of the Internet shopping experience has helped make guys a bit more receptive and even adventurous when it comes to clothes shopping.
Here’s a link to the full article: Who Knows What Men Want? Be sure to check out the comparison table (“The Corner Vs. Mr. Porter”) which underscores a few of the complementary contradictions of the men’s fashion market.
